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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165692">The Return</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Name1/pseuds/Name1'>Name1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Moving Forward [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Slow Burn, friends to lover, idiots to lovers, kinda smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:53:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Name1/pseuds/Name1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’ll set course for Nevarro. It’ll take us at least 10 days to get there so we can formulate a plan in the meantime. I figured we’d touch base with Greef and then confirm the armorer has already moved on. I’ll reach out to him soon, give him a heads up.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) &amp; Cara Dune &amp; The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Cara Dune &amp; The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Cara Dune/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Moving Forward [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone. <br/>Finally got this one done. Consider it a distraction from being stuck in your homes, out of work, or kids out of school.<br/>Again, please forgive the numerous typos. I'll try to get them fixed tomorrow but I was itching to post this :)<br/>thanks for sticking with this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ok, run it by me again,” Din says, as they both sit around the table taking turns feeding the kid. “What did this woman look like?”</p><p> </p><p>“She was older, blonde hair that was turning white. She wore an Alliance pin, that’s where my focus was at the time. She did say she lived on Yavin years ago but I’m not sure what details you’re looking for here….”</p><p> </p><p>“You said you thought she might have been a Mandalorian, what made you think that?”</p><p> </p><p>“How many people do <em>you</em> know that say ‘foundlings are the future?’ ‘cause I sure don’t know many,” She replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Was that the only thing you found odd? Maybe she heard it somewhere and just repeated it.”</p><p> </p><p>Cara looks skeptical but can appreciate the devil’s advocate. “Then why would she say it to me?”</p><p> </p><p>She continues, the frustration clear in her voice, “I don’t know Din, it was just something about her, I can’t put my finger on it. She pointed you out unprompted and asked if I’d ever seen a Mandalorian before. When she talked about your armor it was….,” she pauses to try to come up with the right word to convey the feeling she had. “It wasn’t just respect, it was <em>reverence</em>.” She was talking about it longingly as if it meant something to her.  Even in the middle of our conversation, it struck me as odd. When we talked about how it was shaped, she volunteered the location of the Armorer on Nevarro. She said her brother told her about it, but now I’m not so sure.”</p><p> </p><p>A thought pops into her mind and she asks, “you don’t think it could have been the Armorer do you?”</p><p> </p><p>Din seems surprised, “without her helmet? I certainly hope not. I can’t imagine a scenario where she would surrender it and be alive afterwards.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just trying to come up with all the possibilities. Her voice was very different though, not to mention her accent.”</p><p> </p><p>Testing out her theory he asks, “how old would you have said this woman was? Just an estimate?”</p><p>“I don’t know maybe late 50s, 60s maybe.”</p><p> </p><p>“It couldn’t have been her then. The armor is the same age as me, meaning basically the same age as you. Like you said, her voice is distinctive, but it doesn’t mean people can’t change their voice to go into hiding.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you get the impression she knew we were together?” Din asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Then, no. Looking back on it now….. absolutely.”</p><p> </p><p>“She must have seen me watching you or seen us when we walked the perimeter together.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you were not being subtle; she even mentioned that you were watching me. I thought you were supposed to be professional,” she teased him with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>“Hard to be professional when I’m looking at you.” He wasn’t even trying to flatter her, it was just the truth. “Anyway, if she really was a Mandalorian, she would have known what to look for in my posture to get a read on me watching you.”</p><p> </p><p>They’re both deep in thought but they need to talk this out if they’re going to get anywhere. “The easiest explanation is that she was one of my people who removed her helmet for whatever reason. She might have even been a member of my Clan. Maybe she recognized my helmet and wanted to help when she knew you were with me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wish you had been there. You would have known what questions to ask. You might have picked up on some signals I missed”</p><p>“Even if I had, I don’t think her voice would have been enough for me to identify her without her helmet. The point of hiding is so that no one recognizes us, that included each other as well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Either she knew you, or she belonged to another Clan altogether- it doesn’t really matter which at this point. The real question is ‘was she playing us’? Do you think we can trust any of the information she fed us? You think it was a trap?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Cara didn’t like feeling as though anyone got the drop on her. It instantly set her on edge.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“I like to think one of my people wouldn’t purposefully lead me, and by association you, into a trap, but people can turn. I’ve had people I thought were friends turn on be before, and this isn’t even a friend. It’s only a stranger who has intimate knowledge of Mandalorian ways; how she gained that knowledge is still unclear.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t like it Din. It doesn’t feel right.”</p><p>“Trusting your instincts isn’t something I can argue with. If you think it feels wrong, it probably is.”</p><p> </p><p>“But what if she was legitimately trying to help? She gave us the only leads we’ve really gotten so far.”</p><p>“Truths interspersed with lies are the most dangerous kind of truths. I don’t have to tell <em>you</em> that Cara.”</p><p> </p><p>He continued, levelheaded and determined, “look, let’s play both sides of this. We push forward with these leads while assuming it’s a trap. Let’s start with the first one and see where it leads. If that one pans out, we go to the next one.”</p><p>“Ok, where do we start then?” Cara would defer to him on this one since he was the subject matter expert on his people.</p><p>“The easy one,” he states. “Was she telling the truth about the armorer? Let’s start there. It’s the least risky fact to verify without giving too much away about our kid or bumping into any shit-heads in The New Republic that want a piece of you.”</p><p> </p><p>She conveniently didn’t react to his word choice. <em>It was true, Bean was theirs, but hearing it made her stomach twist in a knot.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She nods. “Okay then, sounds like a good place to start to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll set course for Nevarro. It’ll take us at least 10 days to get there so we can formulate a plan in the meantime. I figured we’d touch base with Greef and then confirm the armorer has already moved on. I’ll reach out to him soon, give him a heads up.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope she<em> has</em> moved on. If not, something’s wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Din says solemnly, “she should have been long gone almost a year ago now. But If she’s still there, then we can ask her if she’s heard anything; she always has her ear to the ground for information. As one of the only remaining members of our Clan, she has a soft spot for me. She won’t sell us out.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know she won’t. That was never in question.” <em>Cara had spent many days talking with the Armorer after Din left Nevarro, and she respected her dedication and strength more than almost anyone. She wasn’t sure if she would call them friends, but she felt connected to her through their mutual concern for Din, even back then.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Why ten days though? I figured it would take no more than five to get there from here,” Cara asked, in regards to their flight path.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll double check the map from our current location, but I figured we might pick up an odd job or two on the way. Greef still sends me some pucks from time to time.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled then. “We can pick up a bounty?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep. We don’t really need the money, we can do this one just for fun.” He could see something flash in her eyes. They both needed to stretch their legs and go on a good hunt. Being cooped up on the ship wasn’t good for anyone.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go wake up the kid, while you ping Greef. Bean’s been sleeping too long already. If I don’t get him up now, he won’t go down tonight.” She puts her hand on his shoulder as she walks past him and turns toward the ladder.</p><p> </p><p>He enters the number he knows corresponds to Greef’s comm signature and waits. When he sees his face appear, he breathes a sigh of relief as his voice comes though.</p><p> </p><p>“Mando!!!” He says boisterous with his usual enthusiasm. “Good to hear from you! How have you been my friend?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well enough Greef, and you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t complain, and the kid? He’s okay too right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, he’s fine, he’s sleeping.” Greef seemed legitimately relieved to hear that. The kid had grown on him for sure. “He’s eating me out of house and home though, I swear that kid eats all the time.”</p><p> </p><p>Greef’s boisterous laugh fills the channel. “I definitely can’t help you there. What can I do for you, or is this just a social call?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was planning on sending you my coordinates. I was hoping if you have any jobs could you send them my way…..?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, of course. Never a problem for you. I’ll send you a couple, so you have a choice.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you. I wanted to give you a heads up while I have you on the line. I was thinking about swinging by Nevarro in a few days. That’s still your base of operations right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, never left. I’ll be glad to put you up when you’re here. Free of charge of course.”</p><p> </p><p>They both chuckled at his ‘generosity’.</p><p> </p><p>“Din,” he started, before rethinking what he was about to say. He almost always called him Mando, so the change in salutation signaled him what was coming next must have been important.</p><p>“I was wondering, do you uh….you ever hear from Cara?” Greef asked, like it pained him just to voice the question.</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was just wondering, I haven’t heard from her since she left, wanted to know she was ok. Did she tell you  her location or where she was going? I’m not keeping tabs on her, I just wanted to make sure she didn’t get in any trouble she couldn’t get out of. She’s a bit rough around the edges but she’s a good kid. Her temper is going to get her into trouble one day though; either that, or her big mouth talking shit.”</p><p> </p><p>Din had to chuckle at that. He’d have to relay this to Cara later just for the look on her face. He forgets sometimes that Greef knew Cara for a time on Nevarro after her left. He helped scramble her chain code and gave her some semblance of freedom she hadn’t known in years. <em>Were they friends? It was clear Greef didn’t know she was with him….</em></p><p>He wondered should he give it away or play dumb?</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I’m in touch with her pretty regularly. She told me her location in confidence and the last time I talked to her she was fine. Raising hell wherever she goes, you know how she is…. but nothing she can’t handle.”</p><p> </p><p>He heard Greef chuckle fondly, “that sounds like her all right. Don’t tell her I was worried yeah? She’ll never let me hear the end of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You got it.”</p><p> </p><p> Din changes the subject to what he’s really worried about since Karga broached the topic fist. “Actually, since you brought it up, I heard a rumor she has a bounty on her head. Is it true?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but I wish it wasn’t. Nasty business, that bounty, and I hate to see anyone go after her with all the shit she already has on her plate; it’s a ton of money but not many are dumb enough to risk it. We’ll talk more when you get here, these channels aren’t always as secure as you think.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, see you in a week or two then.”</p><p>“Take care Mando.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>………………………………..</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They were getting their gear on in the main staging area, when Din stopped prematurely and walked over to the desk to pull open a drawer. Cara was already dressed and loading larger weapons on her person, the smaller ones always came last to fill the gaps.</p><p>“Don’t forget your favorite blaster,” Din said as he walked over to her and laid it in her palm. She noticed the difference immediately. Where the old leather grip was worn straight through to the metal in the center and fraying at the edges, the grip she held in her hand was new. It was sleek, black, almost scaly in its non-slip beaded coating. She had an unreadable look on her face as she looked up at him. <em>Why wasn’t she saying anything?</em></p><p>“I uh… I replaced the grip on your blaster”</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head as she asked, “when did you possibly do this?”</p><p> </p><p>“I bought the material at the market and replaced it when you were sleeping.” Her mouth was slightly ajar and she still wasn’t saying anything.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, I kept the original in case there was history there. If you don’t like it, I’ll switch it back.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, don’t change it. I love it. Thank you,” she said quietly, and she paused to swallow, “it’s perfect, really.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t seem too happy about it.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled then at his obvious discomfort, “I am, really. It’s a really thoughtful gift.”</p><p> </p><p>She admitted with a sadness that was the opposite reaction he had been going for, “I actually don’t remember the last time someone gave me a present. I guess I’m just pretty lousy at receiving one. Really Din, this is amazing. Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled at him a genuine smile then, her moment of melancholy gone as soon as it appeared. “You know you don’t have to outdo me on the gift giving front. Pretty much anything is better than the stupid pack of straws I gave you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you kidding me? I use them every day,” he says honestly. “And you’ve given me a Hell of a lot more than that, so cut it out.”</p><p> </p><p>She pulled his helmet down to her forehead for a brief moment where her eyes closed contentedly. The feel of their faces close together like this wasn’t something she would ever tire of.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, what’s the plan to get this bounty on the ship? Let’s go to work.”</p><p> </p><p>……</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The twisty, cluttered streets of the city proved to be both a hindrance and an advantage for tracking down their target. It was a male, 28 years old, wanted for fraud. A non-violent offender was a nice change of pace, but it always paid to be prepared for a fight when cornering even the most mild-mannered individual. He was reported to be a real sweet talker, using his sparkling personality to swindle hundreds of elderly investors out of their life savings. <em>Great, Din always hated the talkers.</em></p><p> </p><p>The bet was easy, the one to get the binders around his wrists first, was the winner. The loser had to walk the guy back to the ship, which usually meant fighting every step of the way, them dragging their heels the whole way, knowing what awaited them at their final destination.</p><p> </p><p>Din flushed him out into the area of the city littered with a labyrinth of connecting streets while Cara circled around, taking the more indirect approach. He was so busy running from the Mandalorian he knew was on his trail, that he didn’t realize Cara was waiting for him until the last second. When She came at him, he turned on his heel and crashed into Din, who was standing directly behind him. Din grabbed him by the arms but Cara already had the binders around his wrists before he could blink. <em>Damn.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“You lost Mando. Don’t worry, I’ll split the walk with you anyway.” She smiled when she heard him sigh “Aren’t you going to tell me how wonderful and generous I am?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll tell you what I think of you later, let’s get this guy back to the ship.”</p><p> </p><p>The walk was long, and Cara’s turn watching his back as he marched was grating on her last nerve. He kept tripping on purpose and making her physically drag him along. The second time he tried to brush against her she’d had enough, “I’m sick of this dumb asshole already, Mando it’s your turn.”</p><p> </p><p>They switched places as he responded, “too bad for you, she's way nicer than I am.”</p><p><br/>
 “Bullshit,” she laughs at him, “you lost the bet, you’re just trying to get out of it.”</p><p> </p><p>He looks at Din incredulously. “You really gonna to let this bitch talk to you like that, man? Why you got a woman working with you anyway, they’re only good for two things, am I right?” The creepy vibes this guy is giving off are only elevated by his weird eyebrow gesture when he looks back at Cara. <em>And was he really trying to bond with Din by being a chauvinistic asshole?</em></p><p> </p><p>Din didn’t even dignify that with a response though inside he was boiling. Not getting a rise out of the Mandalorian, he turned his attention to Cara, “ain’t that right honey? You do your best work on your knees don’t you, that’s why he keeps you around? Or you like being in the kitchen better sweetcheeks? You gonna make us men a sandwich when we get back to the ship? You can stop playing dress-up in your cute little costume…. though I’m all for role-playing if that’s what gets you off.” Cara was smiling now. <em>This did not bode well for dumb asshole over there.</em></p><p> </p><p>Din couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. “You’re really as dumb as you look. She's no one's <em>bitch</em>, and you’ve got it all wrong. She gets on her knees for <span class="u">no one</span>; people drop to their knees for<em> her</em>. He made the mistake of glancing at Cara and the grin she was giving him was positively obscene with promise. <em>He absolutely would not get turned on right now. Absolutely not.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Come on honey,” he continued, ignoring Din like he had never spoken at all, “why don’t you take off all that armor so I can get a good look at you? If it’s not your mouth he’s after you must have a great body under there at least.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are asking for it asshole….I’d cut it out if I were you,” Din warns again.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me handle this man, I got this. Trust me, I know how to handle a mouthy woman. You gotta show ‘em who’s boss. Believe me, they love it--being put in their place, ain’t that right honey?” he says turning the whole upper half of his body around to leer at her. When she doesn’t show even the slightest interest he calls out, “Hey sugar-tits, I’m talking to you…..”</p><p> </p><p>The sigh Din lets out is a long, tired exhalation through his nose; his whole helmet dips down with the utter exasperation of it.  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Din seems less amused and more resigned now than he has the last few times he’s tried to warn this poor asshole. He obviously wasn’t listening, and the smile on Cara’s face didn’t bode well at all.</p><p> </p><p>“Why aren’t you standing up for her? She’s yours, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Din takes a breath through his nose. “Why not? Seriously?” He holds up one gloved finger, “one, because I'm not an idiot.” A second finger joins the first, “two, I’ll enjoy watching her deal with you herself”. His third finger meets the other two as he says, “and three, she sure as hell doesn’t <em>belong</em> to anyone.”</p><p> </p><p>Either this guy had a serious past head injury or he just ignored everything Din just said as he continued, “since she’s not yours then, you’ll let me have a go at her later? She seems pretty into me.” Din has never been more grateful for this helmet. His teeth were grinding together so hard he’s giving himself a migraine and he’s sure the pursed line of his mouth could give away his displeasure, sure as day.</p><p> </p><p>Hands still cuffed in front of him, he turned his head toward her again. “Hey angel-lips, you want t--- he didn’t even finish his sentence before he was on the ground. Cara moved so fast Din didn’t even see her throw a punch. Her hand was just resting by her side like nothing ever happened. <em>Damn she was fast.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Oops, my sandwich-making hand must have slipped,” she replied without an ounce of remorse. She leaned down to talk <em>at</em> his body lying on the ground, his mouth finally quiet for the first time since they cuffed him, “sorry about that sugar-tits….”</p><p> </p><p>They were both laughing openly now, their third wheel now unconscious. “Gods, what an asshole….where did you find this guy, Din?”</p><p> </p><p>“Believe it or not, he was the better of the two jobs Greef had queued up, I didn’t know he would run his mouth so much, honest,” he says apologetically. “By the way, I feel like it needs to be said -I apologize on behalf of my entire gender for that creep.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about it. One prick doesn’t speak for all of you, thank the stars.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess this means I have to carry him back to the ship now?”</p><p> </p><p>“You can hold him by the feet and drag him on his dumb face for all I care.” Cara’s over it by this point. This jackass wasn’t worth the credits, but it was fun getting out of the ship.</p><p> </p><p>“That would throw out my back.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll need that later, so just pick him up.” Before he moved to lean down, she pushed the front of her body against his so their armor rubbed together along all the points of contact. <em>Why did he find this so hot? Just add this to list of questions about Cara Dune he would never have answers to.</em></p><p>He said affectionately, “you know, you lasted much longer than I thought you would. I’m proud of you. Look at you, being all level-headed and everything….”</p><p>She snorted at his declaration of praise at her patience in the face of adversity. “Keep talking shit Mando, and see where it gets you.”</p><p>“Hopefully on my back with you staring down at me,” he says optimistically, “isn’t that what you said that one time?”</p><p>“I can’t believe you remember I said that.”</p><p>“Are you kidding me, it’s all I could think about for days…. no, weeks,” he answered honestly. “That’s where I want it to get me now too”…..he paused as he leaned down to her ear, barely containing his grin under beskar as he added, “sugar-tits.”</p><p> </p><p>She hit him so hard in the shoulder his beskar plate almost did nothing to dampen the blow.</p><p>“Oooooow,” he grunted as he gripped his shoulder, laughing.</p><p> </p><p> “Just you wait until we get back to the ship…….,” she threatened him with her teeth clenched but a playful look in her eyes that promised she would make him pay for that comment later in a very pleasurable way.”</p><p> </p><p>“When you say it like that it just makes me want to walk faster…”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s get this idiot frozen so we can grab a shower. You can make it up to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sooo, I can assume we’re not doing pet names then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I have a pet name for you all right, you want to hear it?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>This was their new normal. Just the end of another successful job and a long walk back home.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Later that night Bean was playing with his box of toys in the main living area while they headed to the cockpit to look at charts. Din leaned down on one knee to stroke a fuzzy ear and offer him some words of comfort, “you stay here, we won’t be gone long okay, kid?” Bean looked up at him and mumbled his nonsense sounds at Din and Cara who stood behind him. “I’ll take that as a yes”. Their old way of charting on the common table was out when Bean spilled milk over the portable data pad.  The built-in star charts were in the cockpit terminal so they were resigned to the small cramped space until they could repair the portable pad.  It was so pitch black, Din took of his helmet and laid it on the control panel.</p><p> </p><p>Cara barely noticed, but closed her eyes reflexively; that’s how familiar and ordinary this was becoming. “You know, he’s talking a lot more now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I’ve noticed it too,” he responded. He <em>had</em> noticed. The kid was really thriving and his personality shining through more and more. It made him feel good that maybe he had a hand in that.</p><p> </p><p>“He might actually attempt a word soon,” Cara continued, “what do you think it’ll be?” She had the sappiest smile he had ever seen on her face, and he couldn’t help but tease her about it. Everything had been so much more relaxed lately; the tension that hung heavy in the air between them was gone and it felt like they could finally breathe freely. The sexual tension that hung in the air between them had made itself known in their every interaction for so long, it felt freeing to not be crippled by it anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“You getting soft already Dune? I should have known all it would take was a cute kid to bring you to your knees.”</p><p>She grinned at him then, unable to stop herself. “You keep talking about knees hitting the floor and we’re never even going to open these star charts and then we’ll end up flung across the damn galax---” Her thought was cut off by his mouth pushing against hers roughly.</p><p> </p><p>He kissed her mouth firmly but gently, not letting her move things along by taking control of the intensity of the kiss. He pulled away as he felt his control start slipping. “If I knew this was the best way shut you up, I’d have done it a long time ago,” he says, humor lacing his words.</p><p> </p><p>“Actually….,” he says pensively as he looks around, “it seems like it <em>was</em> a long time ago now....in this same room, this same spot.” He clarifies, “the first time, I mean.”</p><p> </p><p>He continues, “we were standing right <em>here</em>,” he says as he shifts them about a foot to the left. He raises one hand to first touch the side of her face, before running it along the texture of her braid. He was getting good at it now.  </p><p> </p><p>He placed his hands on the line of her jaw, cupping her face between them. His thumbs gently caressed her cheeks and watched he smile that crawled up her lips.</p><p> </p><p>“It was exactly like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like <em>this </em>you say?” she tilted her head back to speak right near his mouth.</p><p> </p><p><em>“</em>Yes,<em> just</em> like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then what did you do?” <em>She’s into this, no point in denying it.</em></p><p> </p><p>“You forgot? Seriously?” Din asks in mock offense.</p><p>She snorts right in his face, “I’d forget my own name before I’d forget that. I just want you to do it again.”</p><p> </p><p>Her face was perfectly content, eyes shut. Her expression was so full of trust and affection he found it hard to look at her.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to convince me, believe me.” Though he had kissed her a hundred times by now, it sent shivers through him to relive the first time again. He felt he same butterflies in is stomach and the same heat creeping up his chest as he gently pressed his lips to hers. It was slower than the first time; less hurried, less rushed, less explosive than the culmination of their attraction for one another finally colliding.  Instead of a collision, they just fell together naturally now. Her mouth was so warm, so soft, so familiar; he didn’t want to stop.</p><p> </p><p>They kissed gently, her own hands rising to run along the hair that brushed his neck. Her breath was on his upper lip and her nose brushed the delicate skin of his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“You think the kid’s going to interrupt us again?” Din asks between kisses.</p><p>“I hope not.”</p><p> </p><p><em>How did they get here</em>, she wondered to herself. She could still taste the sand in her mouth when they first met and ended up on the ground scrambling to get the upper hand. Their relationship had changed so much, but not much at all when she thinks about it. It’s probably because it began on such a strong foundation she still couldn't explain. The respect, the camaraderie, the partnership, the give and take; those hadn’t changed at all, only grown slowly every day since. The friendship, the affection, and the attraction might have started out surprisingly easy, but grew rapidly, almost explosively at times. The feeling of togetherness, family, and domesticity was just something that came along for the ride.  It still surprised her, how could she have fallen in lo--- </p><p>--fallen <span class="u">for</span> a man who's face she could never see, who was weighed down by so much armor she could hardly view his frame underneath it all? If someone had told her years ago you could fall so completely for someone without ever seeing their face, she would have called them crazy and an idiot to boot. <em>Well she was that crazy idiot apparently....</em></p><p> </p><p>It didn't seem so far-fetched to her now. She wonders if not being able to see his face actually made it easier in the beginning. He wasn’t using his eyes or his face to lie to her or trick her. There were no mixed signals. His actions were the only thing that mattered, that and his voice. <em>Stars, his voice.</em> She could really<em> listen</em> to his words without his face to distract her. She could <em>watch</em> his movements and his affection for the kid without seeing his face. She could<em> feel</em> his respect and affection for her and only focus on how it<em> felt</em> and not what his face was projecting.  There's nothing his face could show her that she didn't already see.</p><p> </p><p>She <em>saw</em> him everyday;</p><p>His thoughts, his feelings. She knew his body language as well as her own by now:</p><p>The tilt of his head, the way he held his fingers when trying to be casual but not feeling relaxed at all.</p><p>How his toes flexed and moved around in the edge of his boot when he was itching to grab his blaster, but forcing his hand away from the holster.</p><p>She knew the feel of his hair, the fine lines around his mouth when he smiled, and around his eyes when she pulled an unwitting smile from him. </p><p>She knew his voice...the soft voice he used when he talked to his kid; the playful familiar voice he used when he spoke to her; his serious voice when he was apprehensive about the situation they were walking into, and rarely his scared voice. His voice when he thought he was dying was something she wished she could forget, but it still haunted her nightmares. The only thing that calmed her down from her instant panic of waking with a gasp in her throat was the feel of his arms around her and his face buried in her hair. He always pretended like he didn't notice; never drew attention to her night terrors, but would quietly ask in a sleepy voice, “hey, you woke up, you okay?”, knowing full well what woke her so violently.  She saw how he made room for her and the kid to fill every aspect of his life without complaint. She wonders if he had needed this family as much as she did. Where would they each be if they hadn’t found one other when they did? <em>She shudders to think about it.</em></p><p>She had nothing then, and now it felt like she had everything. <em>Did he feel the same way? Did it surprise him as much as it did her how easy they came other, two fighters who seemed to fight everything, even each other, never even tried to fight this.</em> Surrendering to this <em>thing </em>between them didn't feel like surrender at all.</p><p> </p><p><em>Enough of this romantic shit</em>, she thought to herself.  She could reflect in private later. She was ruining prime time to be close to him. She moved their kiss from one of comfort to one of playfulness by pulling back to peck him on the lips in a series of quick but firm kisses. The kid would come looking for them soon. He managed to slip his helmet back on as she pulled away and before she spoke.</p><p>“So, I was thinking,” she said against the side of his neck as her fingers curled into the waistband of his pants.</p><p> </p><p>“You want to fool around?” she asked in a mischievous voice.</p><p> </p><p>She pushed against him as her fingers moved to the button at the top of his pants.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Fool around</em>, really?” he parroted back to her, incredulously. “What are we, a couple of horny teenagers?” He couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“It definitely feels that way to me.”</p><p>“It does,” he agrees wholeheartedly. He continues with surprise when he says, “I actually feel more like a teenager now than I did when I <em>was</em> a teenager.”</p><p>“Me too.” She gets it, she does.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we had quite the day,” she reasons. “A foot chase through the town and one frozen asshole later, we could use with some relaxation wouldn’t you say? Work off a little stress don’t you think?”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe that fucking idiot had the gall to speak to you like that.”</p><p>
  <em>Uggh, he was still focused on that jackass….. Cara had already forgotten about him.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Stop thinking about <em>his</em> mouth and focus on <em>mine</em>.” She started working his pants down his hips but as soon as she moved to kneel in front of him, he stopped her with a hand on her wrists.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to do that. This isn’t something you owe me. That’s not how this works.”</p><p> </p><p>“Owe you?!” She scoffs, “Owe you? are you serious?!” She’s laughing with the utter insanity of the comment, though she appreciates his concern. Her eyebrows were raised so far up her forehead her shock was obvious. “You got it all wrong, I <em>want</em> to.”</p><p> </p><p>She repeats with more heat behind it, “I really,<em> really </em>want to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Watching you today; talking shit, tracking our target through those alleys, stalking him to get him where I’d intercept him, got me all worked up. Trust me when I say this is something I <em>really</em> want.” He doesn’t say anything, just stands frozen holding her hands, Her voice changes as she realizes she might have misread what he found pleasurable, or stumbled across something worse she didn’t mean to dig up. “Unless….. you know, you just don’t want me to. If it’s not something you would enjoy, no explanation required, I unders—"</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t say that. It’s just ….The way he said what he said today….I’ve always heard it’s degrading to women. You don’t think so?”</p><p> </p><p>His concern was so touching it took her aback momentarily. <em>It was so him, protecting her against herself.</em> “It can be I guess, if there’s no feeling behind it,” she states honestly, “but anything can be in the wrong circumstances though. It’s only degrading if it’s against your will or in expectation of something in return.”</p><p> </p><p>He was rubbing his thumbs over her wrists. He wanted her, he just didn’t want to do something that might hurt her unnecessarily or unintentionally. <em>She could work with that.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, none of those things apply here. Tell me this, when your mouth was on <em>me</em>, did you think it was degrading?”</p><p>“God, no! Of course not. Besides the act of being born, it was the single most life-changing event of my existence.”</p><p>She’s thrown her head back and is laughing openly now, the sound of her joy is reverberating around the small room. “The things that come out of your mouth, Din.”</p><p>“Making you feel good and getting to worship every inch of you was everything that’s good. How could it have possibly been anything else?”, Din asks, legitimately confused how she could think he didn’t enjoy worshipping her.</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p> </p><p>She had never really cared for either the theory or practice of pleasing someone else with her own pleasure forgotten, but she found herself aching to feel him fall apart under her; her hands and her mouth. But, she had to admit she had never known anyone like him, <em>wanted</em> anyone like she wanted him. This was new. She wanted to learn what he liked, the speed and pressure he preferred, with his hands tangled in her hair gently guiding her to get him to where he wanted to go. The thought that she could make him feel even an ounce of the mind-blowing pleasure he brought her made her feel powerful; it made her desperate to show him how much she adored him and desired him. It wasn’t even about his body, it was about adoring <em>him</em> without any expectation of reciprocity.</p><p><em>It was selfless, and adjective she would never have used to describe herself before. </em> </p><p>She had never felt so selfless before in her life, but she wanted to give this man everything. She was beyond turned-on thinking just imagining it. How could thinking about making another person squirm in pleasure get her so hot? <em>Is this what it’s supposed to feel like? </em>She could barely fight the urge to rub her legs together in search of some pitiful attempt at relief, but this wasn’t about her, it was about him.</p><p>
  <em>It was only about him.</em>
</p><p>Everything she was, everything she thought and felt, every movement she would make would be solely and singularly focused on making him feel good, feel desired, feel lov----……feel loved. <em>How did that just slip out?</em>  How could she go from thinking about pleasing him to <em>that</em> word…..?</p><p> </p><p>Because that’s what he was, she concludes.</p><p>He was loved.</p><p>By her.</p><p> </p><p>Just because she couldn’t say it, didn’t mean the feeling wasn’t there, <em>everywhere now</em> it seemed. It was in her voice, her touches, her smile, her other carefully chosen words. She heard it in her head all the time now. She felt it even more.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He’s still rubbing her hands carefully and it brings her back to the present. <em>His worry for her well-being.</em></p><p>“Sharing everything with you could never be degrading and certainly not even remotely unpleasant.”</p><p>She runs her hands up his thighs, so slowly he can feel the heat seeping into his skin thought the cloth. “If you don’t want me to, if it’s something you find unappealing, then just say sa---"</p><p>He quickly jumped in, “I’m not saying <em>that</em>”. He follows up quickly with, “I’m definitely not saying that at all.”</p><p>They both laugh at how fast those words came out of his mouth. <em>Ok, so maybe he liked the idea.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“It’s not that I don’t want you, or want <em>that</em>,” as he gestures to all of her, but mostly her face. “I want you, in<em> every</em> way, but not at your expense. Not because of that asshole and his dumb mouth implying what he did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop thinking about him, he was a creep. That’s done. He didn’t even put the idea in my head. Nothing that came out of his mouth meant anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have to agree with that at least,” he said, and she smiled at his attempt at humor.</p><p> </p><p>She crowds him against the pilot’s chair until he gives and sits down without complaint. She stands close so her legs are touching his knees and she places her hand over his on the armrest. “What if I told you that ever since the shower we shared the other day, I’ve been aching to put my mouth on you; to make you squirm and shudder the way you made me.” She leans closer so she can talk more softly but him still pick up her voice. “Don’t you remember? How hard my legs were shaking, how I couldn’t keep still it felt so good, how I practically rode your mouth at the end begging you to finish me?”</p><p> </p><p>She can see his body tense up at her words. It’ll be a sad day if she ever stops having this effect on hm. It doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon though. She smiles.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes……” He can hardly breathe as the visual hits him full-on again in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck yes, I remember. It’s all I can think about.”</p><p> </p><p>“I want <em>you</em> to feel like that.” She goes down to one knee and waits to see any protest from him.</p><p>She doesn’t want to pull the trust card, but he doubts the sincerity of her words. “You trust me when I tell you it’s because I want you and no other reason? You trust me when I tell you that I <em>want</em> to share that with you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I trust <em>you</em>, you know I do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then trust me when I say it’s all<em> <span class="u">I</span></em> can think about.”</p><p> </p><p>“I trust you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want me to touch you then? I won’t push you if you say ‘no’.”</p><p> </p><p>He laughs openly then.</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit Cara, are you kidding me? I always want you to touch me. I want everything.”</p><p>
  <em>He had never wanted anything for himself in all his life, but now he was so greedy. He wanted everything with her.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Then stop thinking so much and touch me. You know I want you to.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>………………………..</p><p>Continued in chapter 2</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if sexy time is not your jam, skip those parts :)</p><p>thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do you want me to touch you then? I won’t push you if you say ‘no’.”</p><p>He laughs openly then.</p><p>“Holy shit Cara, are you kidding me? I always want you to touch me. I want everything.”</p><p>“Then stop thinking so much and touch me. You know I want you to.”</p><p> </p><p>His hand ran through her hair and she turned her head into it to savor the feeling of his fingers against her scalp. She shifted from her place on the floor to crawl into the chair with him, her legs straddling his waist as she put her mouth to his neck and starting kissing and nipping at his skin until he let out a moan. Her face was pressed up so far under the edge of his helmet she could feel his beard rough against her lips. She felt his hand brush against the side of her breast, and she shifted purposefully so his whole hand started to knead her instead.  “Mmmmm,” she let out a moan in response to the change in pressure. He initiated touching <em>her</em> this time. It was so hot when he wanted her so desperately that he stopped thinking and just <em>felt.</em> <em>He must really be worked up. Good, so was she.</em></p><p> </p><p>After she realized how embarrassingly turned-on she was just by his hands on her, she acknowledged she had allowed herself to get distracted. He touched her gently at first, then progressively harder as she pushed against him with more force; the actions of his strong hands making them both shift against one another in pleasure. She had to move or else this wasn’t going to end the way she wanted it to. <em>Move this along Cara, it’s not about you.</em></p><p> </p><p>She encouraged his hand to slip into her pants but neither of them were expecting her to be as wet as she was already. He threw his head back against the chair as soon as he felt her slick heat on his fingertips and the sound it pulled from her throat.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>It took so few slippery passes over her to get her teetering right at the edge, she was practically whining against his neck. His fingers grew bolder, sank deeper, with the sounds she was making and the rolling motion of her hips to encourage him.  She forced herself to pull away and kneel between his knees before this ended too soon.</p><p> </p><p>She finished tugging at his pants with so much enthusiasm he chuckled at her as she pulled them off and he felt the cool air hit his bare skin.</p><p> </p><p>“Believe I want you yet, or can’t you feel it all over your hand?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you win. Don’t stop.”</p><p> </p><p>“This still okay?” she asked as she ran her hands up the musculature of his strong thighs, warm without the thick pants separating them.</p><p> </p><p>He nodded, his head still tossed back, but watching her every move. “More than okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“What about this,” she asked again as she took him in her hand and stroked him. She was so turned on at this point she could barely think straight, she hoped he was getting there too. He certainly felt like he was, but what was going through his mind she didn’t know.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” His answers were getting more and more abbreviated.</p><p> </p><p>“Touch my hair,” she requested, in a voice that didn’t leave any question whether or not she wanted him. He laced his fingers through her thick tresses.</p><p> </p><p>The last thing he heard was her voice lowering in pitch as she asked him one final time, “what about this?”</p><p> </p><p>His unintelligible combination of syllables answered her question as she put her mouth on him.  </p><p> </p><p>All he could focus on was remembering to breathe, and the feel of her hair between his fingers as his hand clutched at it helplessly. <em>Stay still, don’t move</em> was the manta repeating over and over in his head. What he absolutely could <span class="u">not</span> focus on was the feel of her mouth; the depth, the heat, the glide of her tongue paired with the pressure she was pulling back on him with. Feeling the movement of her through his hand and seeing her hair moving in time with the sensations she was giving him was too much. Despite this being the most erotic thing he had ever seen, what almost pushed him over the edge were the goddamned noises she was making. She was fucking <em>enjoying</em> this. The sounds of her rapid breathing through her nose, combined with her moans and her punched out grunts when she pulled an especially deep moan from him was going to finish this way too fast.</p><p> </p><p>Cara was good at multitasking. She kept tabs on every aspect of him, to tell her what he needed. It didn’t feel like it would take long with the sounds he was making, so she slowed it down. She wanted him to enjoy this like she had, she wanted to learn what he liked as he had done.  She paused for only a moment to pull his free hand into her hair as well and tell him, “show me what you like; how fast, how deep, everything, I want everything.”</p><p> </p><p>He seemed incapable of words, but Din helping to set the pace was the hottest thing she had ever been on the receiving end of, his mouth in the shower notwithstanding. His gentle nudges and subtle direction with his hands in her hair combined with the noises and strained breaths to guide her were more than she could have hoped for. She was beyond turned-on now; it was almost painful how bad she needed something, <em>anything, </em>to relieve this pressure. <em>She hadn’t lasted near as long as he was.</em></p><p>When he finally collapsed in a boneless pile of relaxed limbs, Cara was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat, despite him not being able to see it in the dark.</p><p> </p><p>“Still ok in there Din?”</p><p> </p><p>“God……” he took a breath.</p><p> </p><p>He took another breath and remembered she had asked him a question, “yes…….”</p><p>“Better than okay,” he managed to get out as a complete thought as he adjusted his clothes with trembling hands and slid down to the floor to put his arm around her. <em>When had he taken his helmet off again? He must have needed to catch his breath more than she thought. She’d need to remind him to give her more warning. He was getting careless.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Once they were both comfortable, he tried again but chuckled before he could get it out, “……sorry I forgot the question, I think I’m dead.”</p><p>She laughed at the breathless, sincerely confused tone of his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“You get a free pass this time….next time however, I’m expecting some fancy words”</p><p>That made him laugh, that brilliant laugh he couldn’t fake even if he wanted to.</p><p> </p><p>“Something’s got to be wrong with us, why do we laugh after that?” As soon as it left his mouth he felt like an idiot. He contributed it to a distinct lack of blood in his brain</p><p>She didn’t seem bothered by his question though and gladly not insulted; she must be in a pleasurable haze as well. She simply suggested honestly, “I don’t know, maybe because we’re happy?”</p><p> </p><p>She said it so simply, so honestly, that he paused to take it in.</p><p>“Yeah, we are…. I am” He kissed her again, softer than before and lingered long enough they were breathing the same warm air after a few minutes. He didn’t want the moment to end but didn’t want to burden Cara with the words that were sure to come spilling out of his mouth if they continued being so open voicing their affection for each other. <em> It was almost impossible to keep it inside now and getting harder everyday….</em></p><p>He finds his voice to warn her, “you know, if your master plan was to kill me and take my ship, there are easier ways of going about it.”</p><p> </p><p>He can hear her grin as she replies, “easier sure, but more fun? Definitely not. You do look especially disarmed right now though. Maybe I was just biding my time until you were a puddle on the floor to make my move.”</p><p> </p><p>“You're playing the long game then.”</p><p>She laughed louder at his apparent obliviousness, “Oh Din, do you know how hard it is, keeping myself from making a dirty joke right now?”</p><p>“No,” he replied with a straight-faced tone, “tell me, <em>how hard is it</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>He grinned when her laughter turned to a full-on cackle that would surely bring the kid waddling to see what the fuss was all about.</p><p>“Oh my Gods, I can't believe you just said that. You’re amazing.” She had to kiss him again for that one. She had so much affection in her voice when she praised him.</p><p> </p><p>“What? You laid that one out for me. It wasn’t <em>hard</em> at all.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my God.” She was snickering now. <em>Teenagers, indeed. </em></p><p> </p><p>“You know, for someone who's dead, you sure do run your mouth a lot.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t say ‘mouth’, I can barely form words as it is. Give me a minute to recover.”</p><p> </p><p>She brushed her lips against his as she defiantly said ‘mouth’ right against his lips.</p><p> </p><p>He kissed her again.</p><p> </p><p>Her heart was racing, her head was dizzy.</p><p>What was wrong with her? Of course she loved this man, this impossible man who so clearly loved her. She just couldn’t <em>say</em> it, couldn't put voice to the emotion that was there clear as day. She felt a stab of fear, as if even <em>thinking </em>the words in the privacy of her mind would summon the wrath of the universe to rip hip away from her. As if merely <em>acknowledging</em> it, would cause him to be taken away, and it would be her fault, her weakness that made it happen. It was completely irrational, but it felt like she was protecting him from her thoughts. He deserved better than that though, someone who could love him freely, without being controlled by fear. For some reason she couldn't fathom, he had chosen her. As broken and damaged as she was, he had chosen her, more than once in fact.</p><p>She could tell a difference in herself slowly working its way through her psyche. Day by day, his patience and understanding and <em>love</em> was chipping away at her fear. It didn't seem as daunting as it used to. She thought about it clearly for the first time: if she <em><span class="u">could</span></em> ever summon the courage one day to voice those words, how would she say it?</p><p>Would it be serious; soft and meaningful?</p><p>Would it be laced in humor; their go-to when things got tough?</p><p>Would it be in the heat of the moment; no time to plan pretty words?</p><p>
  <em>Which way would mean the most to him?</em>
</p><p>She had never gotten to this point in her head before. This was progress; slow, but progress, nonetheless. One day she would be able to give this to him, she just hoped it wouldn’t be too late; only summoning the courage after he had given up waiting for her. He was itching to say it, she could tell. He was so carefully trying not to push her, not to slip up but she felt it engraved in his words, the tone of his voice.</p><p>Was her own fear going to prevent her from every hearing those words from him too? Day by day, the thought of loving him that was seeded in her mind began to grow; slowly thriving under his care and nurturing. Small at first, then growing under his warmth. Unfurling little by little, it was getting stronger and it felt like it was close to bloom.</p><p>The thought of it being left unsaid was infinitely more terrifying than saying it and facing his rejection. It had been months, Hell-more than a year since this delicate feeling first scared the shit out of her. Then she grew used to it; it was always just under her skin. The days marched on, with them growing closer, and the feeling becoming comfortable like an old friend. Lately it was warm and then blazing, like it was too big for her body. Today it was blistering hot like the sun, needing to get out. She couldn’t possibly contain something this powerful much longer….</p><p> </p><p>She could barely recall the horrible days during the war that were more of a haze than a real memory now. Everything was pain, and rage, and adrenaline. The only time people came together was to reduce stress....it was a drug, a sedative, and bandage at best. It was getting from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. How could she possibly be here now with him, in this place where his pleasure meant more than her own, where his sighs were hers, where his joy and arousal sank into her like a sponge and she needed them more than air to breathe.</p><p> </p><p>Din was oblivious to her internal dialogue when he kissed her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as the kid came shuffling in.</p><p>He looked around, finally remembering where they were, and felt a surge of amusement.</p><p> </p><p>The cockpit had been the last bastion of safety where he could go if he needed to focus, to not be distracted by visions of the pair of them wrapped around each other, and now that was out of the picture. Before today, it had just been the site of their first kiss, beautiful and passionate, but only their mouths coming together.</p><p>The shower was definitely out, the weapons closet too-with the vision in his head of her hands pressed flat against it as he kissed down her bare back. Their bed had been out a long time ago, and even the counter above the cabinets and the common table…</p><p> </p><p>When the kid waddled into her lap, she sensed the moment was over and thought of something she had forgotten.</p><p>“That last town was a shithole, but the next time we make port I need to head to the local health clinic.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why? Are you sick?” He felt sick just thinking maybe he had missed an injury or illness.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I just need to get more lasering done on the scar tissue on my forearm, it’s starting to get stiff again. While I’m there I need to get my implant switched out. It has less than a couple of months on its shelf life before I need a new one. I’ll just kill two birds with one stone.”</p><p> </p><p>He tried and failed to not linger on what he could infer from her words.</p><p> </p><p>“Ok, we’ll find some place that isn’t just a hole-in-the-wall quack practitioner-Some place where anonymity is guaranteed. You still need to keep a low profile, don’t forget.”</p><p> </p><p>“How could I?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>………………</p><p>In the past</p><p> </p><p>The Crest touched down in the clearing, the shocks absorbing what might not have been the most skilled landing. Din was anxious to get off the ship and make his way into ‘town’, if you could call the busiest village on Sorgan a town. He hadn’t been away that long, but he had a sinking feeling in his chest. What if she was longer there? What if she had booked it on a cruiser as soon as he left? He was a damn good hunter, but tracking down someone like her wouldn’t be easy. She was slippery when she wanted to be.</p><p>
  <em>No, he didn’t think she would have moved on yet. </em>
</p><p>But, what if something had happened to her? She had a big mouth and loved to piss people off just to get a rise out of them. What if she wasn’t in the village because she was d----</p><p>No. <em>No</em>, he wouldn’t even go there. He was sure he’d find her sipping spotchka with her feet propped up somewhere they didn’t belong. She’d be relaxed as hell, enjoying her hard-earned retirement… he was sure of it.</p><p> </p><p>He made his way to the outpost that housed the only cantina in the area. He remembered it being much quieter, but there were sounds indicating a crowd had gathered inside. The sounds of cheering and groans, and yells of encouragement let him know what was going on. It was a fight, but not a bar brawl; this was organized. He wasn't interested in watching a fighting ring, he’d seen enough for one lifetime, but this was getting in the way of his goal of finding Cara. It seemed like the whole village was here though. He’d look around before heading back out the main entrance.</p><p> </p><p><em>Maybe she was here afterall</em>, he thought to himself.</p><p> </p><p>She always did love watching a fight. He scanned the crowd for her dark hair, expecting to see her at the bar cheering alongside the other villagers, but no.</p><p> </p><p>He got closer to the center of the open floor where the two opponents were taking cheap shots at each other to get a closer look. He let out a sigh…..</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Of course it was her……… There she was.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She was tethered to this idiot who had no clue what he was in for. He almost felt bad for him until he watched the Zabrak backhand her across the face. He expected her to recoil, and he noticed his own hands were clenched at his sides. He noticed her hair was damp.</p><p> </p><p><em>But she was laughing.</em> What kind of woman laughs when she gets hit in the face, and why did he feel the sound settle into his chest and take up residency like it had finally returned home after a long journey away?</p><p> </p><p>He had never felt his blood get so hot so fast as when he watched this asshole slam her into that wall, her back arching painfully, before she slid down to the ground. Next thing he knew she aimed a well-placed kick to her opponent’s kidneys, and he cringed thinking how that must have hurt.</p><p> </p><p>She was teasing him now, egging him on; bringing him close with her taunting hand motion. Din could almost hear her voice, "<em>come on, show me whatcha’ got</em>.” Her palms were up, her fingers curling in invitation, “<em>come on, give it to me</em>.”</p><p>He lunged for her to wipe that damned smirk off her face and she ducked under him.</p><p>Din watched her take him to the ground and he knew it was over then. Her ground game was unmatched, poor bastard. <em>Not to mention all the people that had bet against her.</em></p><p> </p><p>He had a carefully scripted plan of what he was going to say when he saw her, but when he felt her eyes fall on him, everything went out the window. He hadn't been pinning over her, he had been <em>preparing</em>. He had been <em>thinking tactically</em> about job he had to do and how much easier it would be with her by his side. <em>And selfishly, how much he wanted to see her again, but that was completely irrelevant.</em></p><p> </p><p>He didn't <em>miss her</em>…….....not all the time anyway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Just sometimes.</em>
</p><p>Only from time to time, on and off again. It wasn’t like it was constant or anything. <em>That would have been embarrassing</em>. Just when he was running through his drills, wishing he had a partner to practice with......when he was getting ready for bed and there was no one around to notice when he retired or say goodnight to…….when his only companion besides the kid was silence, and he could barely remember what it felt like to laugh…….when he found himself wishing he could run something by her only to realize she wasn’t there………..when Bean (the <span class="u">kid</span>) was having trouble sleeping and he remembered the way Cara would talk nonsense to him about user manuals or whatever she could think of to get him to settle against her chest.</p><p>
  <em>Ok, so fine, he was pining………a little. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He knew the exact second she spotted him; her while demeanor changed. Her rush at winning was short lived and she raised one eyebrow at him as she swaggered closer.</p><p>She blinked to clear her vision. For an instant she thought she had hit her head harder than she thought. There was no way he would ever stop on this shitty backwater planet again. What could he possibly be here for? There was absolutely nothing here for him....... just her.</p><p> </p><p>She could totally explain her increased heart rate on the aftereffects of the fight, except she had never even really worked up a good sweat. She could explain the sweaty hands on the same thing; it was just her gloves. The heat at the back of her neck...<em>she wasn't quite sure what that was</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“You looking for some work....”</p><p>How could that cocky asshole just stroll up to her and manage to infer she needed work? Wasn’t fighting for money a perfectly acceptable way to earn revenue? She hated how pleased with himself he sounded. That joking tone she had grown so accustomed to…..</p><p> </p><p>Shit, his voice was exactly as she remembered it. She scoffed at the surge of relief she felt. <em>What a sentimental idiot. What the hell was the matter with her? She didn’t miss him at all. She didn’t even think about him after he left or anything… </em></p><p> </p><p>She <em>didn't think about him</em> in the morning watching the sun come up. It didn't seem as bright lately, but maybe there was some meteorological phenomenon to easily explain that.</p><p> </p><p>She <em>didn't think of him</em> when one of the villagers said something stupid and she certainly <em>didn't </em>look to her side expecting to make some snide remarks in hopes of hearing his coveted laugh.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She <em>didn't think of him </em>when she did her perimeter check of the village; no longer necessary but almost muscle memory at this point. She didn't talk a lot these days since he left. Didn't use her voice for days at a time with no one to talk to, to talk shit with. For someone who never talked a lot, even she noticed how quiet things had been lately.</p><p>She <em>didn't think of him </em>when she ate those fuzzy vegetable pods for dinner. She didn’t notice when she filled the bowl with the discarded pods only half as fast by herself.</p><p>She certainly didn't <em>miss</em> <em>him</em>. <em>Ok that last part was a lie. She did miss him. For someone who never got close to another living person, she had grown accustomed to his presence- liked it even, if she was being generous.</em></p><p>She missed him.</p><p>His stupid laugh, his strength that didn’t make her feel like an outsider in a village of farmers, his confidence in her. She missed mattering to someone…..she had forgotten what that was like. Day by day she accepted the fact that he was gone, and she’d never see him again. As the days passed, she tried convincing himself that she was better off with him gone, but she couldn’t manage to see the lie through to completion. She accepted that she had made a mistake growing attached to someone, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.</p><p>Those had been the happiest weeks of her life, even if watching him walk away hurt more than she remembered anything hurting before. She didn’t think with her repeatedly broken body and damaged soul that she still harbored the ability to care about someone again, <em>to let someone in</em>, but he proved her wrong. She had hoped he was happy after he left, <em>truly</em>. Hearing him laugh awoke a part of her she thought was long dead, and she had hoped wherever he was, light years away by now for sure, that he had a smile on his face with Bean safe in his lap. He probably hadn’t thought of her once since he left……afterall, she was nothing special, so why would he?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She unbuckled the tether belt and put it on the bar before walking to the familiar table to give herself some kid of home turf advantage.</p><p>A bruise was already beginning to form on her cheek, and he had to keep from getting distracted by it.</p><p>He sat down at the table opposite her, the kid in the middle. Bean, looked the same as she remembered him and pretty healthy to boot. That was comforting at least.</p><p>She listened to him explain his conundrum. She could hear the worry in his voice. It made her uneasy to know he required backup. This must be serious.</p><p> </p><p>“They provide the firepower, I’m the snare.” Din didn’t sound comfortable at all with the plan, but he had no qualms about putting himself in harm’s way for the kid.</p><p> </p><p>“With the kid?” she asked. For him to even consider involving Bean in this, the situation must have been desperate. Just the sound of his voice told her all she needed to know. She’d help him however she could.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s why I’m coming to you,” he replied, like it made perfect sense for him to show up at her door.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, I’ve been advised to lay low. If anyone runs my chain code, I’ll rot in a cell for the rest of my life.” <em>Who was she kidding? Could she really sit back and abstain from helping him when he came to her for help? Could she turn her back on the kid?</em></p><p>“I thought you were a veteran,” Din questioned. He knew a lot of her story, but some of the more painful spots he knew not to push on.</p><p> </p><p>The man Cara was fighting walked up to place his credits in front of her and Din couldn’t disguise the way his fingers twitched toward his blaster at the perceived threat. “come back soon,” she said with a smile on her face as he walks off and Din’s grip relaxed. <em>He swore to the stars, that woman’s mouth was going to get her into trouble one day. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Cara continued with a strange look on her face, “I’ve been a lot of things since, most of them carry a life sentence. If I so much as book passage on a ship registered to the New Republic I’m……”</p><p>Din cuts her off, he has a solution to that. “I have a ship. I can bring you there and back with a handsome reward. You could live free of worry.” He would make sure this didn’t put her at risk. He would even give her his own share of the payout if it meant she could finally live in peace. He was just glad to see her again.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m already free of worry.” <em>Liar. She was a damned liar.</em></p><p>
  <em>This wasn’t a life she had here, it was an existence. It was eating enough food to keep her alive day-to-day as everyone around her lived. She was so tired…..Seeing him again just cemented in her mind how much she had been missing since he left.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“And I’m not in the mood to play soldier anymore, especially not fighting some local warlord.” She was proud of how certain she sounded when she spoke those words. It was almost the truth too. She<em> was</em> tired of fighting,<em> in so many ways, </em>but she knew she would pick it back up again if he needed her help.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as he said the word ‘Imperial’ he knew it would get a reaction out of her but he wasn’t expecting her next words:</p><p>“I’m in.”</p><p> </p><p>…………………….</p><p> </p><p>They walk out of the cantina side by side and Din indicated the direction of the path that will lead them back to the Razor Crest. Cara stops him before they leave the establishment altogether, “you want to go a round out back for old time’s sake Mando?”</p><p> </p><p>He’s considering it as he says, “you were just in a fight, don't you think that would be a disadvantage?”</p><p> </p><p>“For you or for me?” she responds, and her brilliant smile made coming all this way worth it. Her cheeky attitude, her confidence, her sass, they all came back to him and he knew he made the right choice.</p><p>Din’s carrying Bean since he hardly weighs anything and if they let him walk, it would take them days to make it back to the ship with his little legs. The walk is a long one, and while he’s sure they could pass the time in companionable silence, he surprisingly decides to fill it with idle chatter.</p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to tell you I used that move you taught me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you?” she asks, genuinely surprised. It had only been a handful of weeks. How many fights has he gotten into since then?</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, in a prison.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, you were in prison? What the hell did you get yourself into?” This man must be a magnet for trouble.</p><p>He tried to explain that situation in a way that doesn’t leave him looking like an idiot who trusted the wrong people, “I escaped a prison, but was never incarcerated.....” He sighs before continuing, “it’s a long story.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a long story? Well, we got a long trip ahead of us, can't wait to hear it. Start at the beginning.”</p><p>Din Missed having someone to talk to; to tell stories to, to share stores with. As if reading his mind, she counters his tale with her own, “I have some pretty exciting stores too. I helped build a house, taught a man a lesson about beating his wife he won't forget for years to come, then turned down a proposal from the wife’s brother. When all that was done, I harvested a shit-load of krill. That’s basically the same level of adventure and excitement as escaping a prison.” He laughed as she finished regaling him with her exciting life since he had left. He <em>had</em> missed this.</p><p> </p><p>He nods sympathetically, “I can see why you were itching for a fight.” The kid kept reaching for her.</p><p> </p><p>“Come here bean. You want me to carry you?”</p><p>“I still don't call him that, just for the record,” Din tried to clarify. <em>He was such a</em> <em>liar.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Not everything is about you Mando. Isn't that right bean?” She smiled as she looked down at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly Mando, you have no idea the level of peak boredom I encountered. I was about to start picking fights without pay or just beating the hell out of some trees.”</p><p> </p><p>He huffs air out of his nose at that image. “I'm sure you've never done<em> that</em> before...... I bet the flora was trembling in its boots.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They finally make it to the clearing where the Crest sits, just as the sun is going down.</p><p>He looks at Cara from the side and says, “go on, let’s hear it……”</p><p> “What?” She’s taken aback, “I don’t know what you mean.”</p><p>“Aren't you going to make some joke?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don't know what you mean, a joke about what?” She’s used to following conversation pretty easily, so this is a new one for her.</p><p> </p><p>“It's a Razor Crest? It's old....it’s an obsolete model, probably not what you’re used to.”</p><p> </p><p>She turns to look at the ship appraisingly, before turning to Mando and saying to his face, “It looks like freedom to me,” the appreciation in her voice was clear.</p><p> </p><p>She follows up with, “if it's gets us into hyperspace and doesn't end up with me in prison, it looks pretty damn good.”</p><p> </p><p>He feels much more relaxed following her response and there’s laughter in his voice when he says, “you know, I could break you out of prison now, I'm kind of an expert...”</p><p>“I'll keep that in mind, but let's not try that out just yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s untraceable you know, The Crest,  I'm a bounty hunter-no one will know your location.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you? I forgot,” she said in her most sarcastic tone of voice.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn't think you'd ask me to come if you thought I'd be sent to prison. Unless you’re planning on putting me in carbonite.... Wait, you’re not, right?” She casts him a suspicious look from the corner of her eye, but one corner of her mouth is rising into a grin.</p><p>He laughs then. “I've never seen a puck with your face on it, I'd remember that....<em>trust me</em>.” He would remember seeing a face like hers even in passing.</p><p> </p><p>He continues with the banter he’s missed and feels sorely out of practice with. “I'm under no impression I could wrangle you into the freezing chamber anyway, maybe the other way around though. My head it still ringing from the last time we sparred. Don't get any funny ideas Dune.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s her turn to laugh then, “that was weeks ago, don't be such a baby. All your bruises are long healed.”</p><p> </p><p>“You hit hard.”</p><p> </p><p>“Flattery gets you nowhere.” She grinned at hm, a real smile where he could see her perfect teeth.</p><p> </p><p>Din opens the ramp and takes the lead walking inside, “come on, I’ll show you around. I don't really have guest quarters so you can sleep in my bed.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>He knew instantly his tactical error when her grin widened. “You coming onto me Mandalorian? You haven’t even showed me your <em>ship</em> yet.”</p><p> </p><p>He let out a sigh. <em>Okay, she won that one.</em> “I <span class="u">meant</span> you can take my bed. I'll sleep on the mat on the floor.” He reiterates so she doesn’t think he’s a creep, “you <em>know</em> that's what I meant….”</p><p> </p><p>“Look Mando, I've slept on ice and dirt and all manner of shit, I can sleep on the floor. Don’t put yourself out because of me.”</p><p>Din argues, “you're my guest, you’re not sleeping in the floor.”</p><p> </p><p>“What if we both sleep on the floor?” she says, as her eyebrows did a little dance he would never be able to unsee. She smirked at him as she bit her lip just as she had <em><span class="u">not</span></em> done in the dreams he <em><span class="u">definitely didn’t have</span></em> about her.  </p><p> </p><p><em>He has to get on top of the situation – okay, bad word choice- He has to take the conversation back into his</em> court. “Now who’s coming onto who Dune?”</p><p> </p><p>“I feel like there’s a dirty joke in there just waiting to happen.” She’s been with him for less than an hour and she’s going to drive him crazy.</p><p>He feels warm under his helmet already. He forgot this heat on his cheeks that she seems to bring naturally to the surface whenever they go back-and-forth. He’s hardly fast enough to keep up with her flirtation or wit, but he hopes he’ll catch up in the future.</p><p>He lets out a dramatic groan, “Uuughh. Why did I come back here again? It couldn’t possibly be for your smart mouth…..”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, is it my charming personality? My way with words? My sweet disposition?”</p><p> </p><p>They both laughed as she put her bag on the main table in the hold.</p><p>She was looking around, getting her bearing on the layout of the main living area. He clears his throat and when she looks back to him, he says, “I'm glad you're here, Dune.”</p><p>“Me too.”</p><p> </p><p>………………………………….</p><p> </p><p>It had been two days since Cara had left Sorgan with Mando to help him eliminate the forces that wanted Bean. It had been easy being in each other’s company again, despite the layer of stress that seemed to permeate the whole ship the closer they inched to Nevarro. They were both reminded this wasn’t just a friendly joy-ride but a dangerous situation they were walking into.</p><p> </p><p>She decided to try to distract him with questions bout the ship, but they didn’t really stick. She tried again, switching gears:</p><p>“I noticed writing on the table I couldn’t read. Do your people have your own language?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” <em>Wow. That was a real conversation starter.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Just written or-?” she leaves it open, hoping he’ll see her interest for what it is and nota  slight against his way of life.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s both spoken and written. It’s so rare now though, I can’t imagine I’ll ever come across others who speak it. I want to keep it alive so I use it when I can. As long as I keep it alive in my mind, it’s not gone.” She nods in understanding. She understands too well trying to keep a dying culture alive. “Who knows,” he tries to lighten the mood, “maybe one day I’ll come across some of the covert. They’d tear into me if I forgot how to speak it.”</p><p> </p><p>She could tell he was trying to make light of the situation but the hurt and despondency in his voice was clear.</p><p>“Tell me something then.” She says simply.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” He asked.</p><p> </p><p>“A word, teach me a word in your language. Then<em> two</em> people will know it.”</p><p> </p><p>She sat down, making herself seem less standoffish, she wanted to show him she was serious.</p><p> </p><p>He tried to think of something clever to teach her; something about strength or loyalty, or another Mandalorian tenant that was ingrained in him as principles to live by, but he was admittedly distracted.</p><p>She was leaning forward over the table, her weight upon her elbows. The incandescent light near the table was casting shadows on her face that mingled with the black of her hair and he was transfixed.</p><p> </p><p>The longer he stretched out the silence, the more unsure she became. <em>Did she misstep? Did she insult him somehow unintentionally?</em>  Her teeth bit her bottom lip, a nervous tick he never saw her give away around anyone else, and before he knew what he was saying he blurted out “mesh’la”, speaking the word much quieter than he usually spoke.</p><p>“Mesh’la? That’s a Mandalorian word?” she asked him, eager to learn something that was important to him.</p><p> </p><p><em>Did he just say that?</em> <em>That wasn’t what he was going to say.</em> How did she always make him forget himself? His innermost thoughts were always bubbling to the surface when she was near. His whole life he had hidden behind a mask, both literal and figurative; always hiding his emotions, intentions, and most of all his weaknesses. In her presence he was lost. Did she know what she did to him? The trained warrior in him balked at the power she had over him- power that he gave to her freely apparently.</p><p> </p><p>“So, what does it mean?” He could tell that he had her full attention as she asked the meaning of the word he just accidentally taught her. In all the days he thought of her and wished she was on the Crest with him, he forgot the intensity of her gaze and how it was like a truth serum.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fuck….does he tell her what it means? Would she get the wrong idea that he was coming onto her? Who was he kidding, someone like him could never have a chance with someone like her. </em>
</p><p>She was like the sun; pure power, and strength, and heat, and beauty.</p><p> </p><p>“You figure it out and get back to me.” Din says challengingly, deciding to turn this back to her.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell?” she asks, slightly prickly, feeling almost like he had tricked her. “You just said you’d probably never see anyone who speaks it again. What kind of chance do I have at figuring it out? Not even a hint?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s an adjective. It describes you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god!” she laughs in mock outrage.  “Just what kind of terrible words are you teaching me?” She’s laughing imagining what kind of curse word she now knows. “It’s got to be good if you don’t think I’ll ever figure it out.”</p><p> </p><p>“That kind of attitude doesn’t sound like a former shock trooper who gathered intel from the Empire through any means necessary. Deciphering coded transmissions and breaking into their archives; you did all that while being shot at, but you don’t think you can figure out a single word?”</p><p> </p><p>She senses the challenge he’s placing at her feet……. <em>Damnnit. He remembered how she likes a challenge.</em> “You gave me a single word in an almost unspoken language. Code breaking involves multiple words to find patterns.”</p><p> </p><p>“You backing down already?”</p><p>“I <span class="u">will</span> figure it out, but if for no other reason than just to prove you wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t expect any less from you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You must have a higher opinion of me than anyone else alive,” she says jokingly</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, maybe I do.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>………………………….</p><p>Back to the present</p><p> </p><p>Days later, Din had put in the coordinates for their final stop before reaching Nevarro. They were all exhausted, and Bean had actually put himself to bed for once. He was curled up on their pillow and Din moved him to his little bed so they could lay down without disturbing him.</p><p>He and Cara had stripped down to their underwear for bed, but neither of them could sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Din insisted checking on the bruise she had on her abdomen from when Bean launched himself from the table at her stomach while she was doing sit-ups on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“You have a thing for my belly button. I think you’re getting distracted.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t help it. It just has a prime central location to everything else. No matter what direction I go there’s something I want.”</p><p> </p><p>She’s smiling at his ridiculous compliment when she whistles at him and says, “hey Din, my face is up here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'll get to your face in a second, I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment.” He stops he sweet torment of her navel to move up to the sensitive skin under her breasts. “I’m getting there, see?” He drags his beard against her skin the whole journey, leaving a faint trail of redness in its wake.  </p><p> </p><p>“You and your godamned beard,” she moans out.</p><p> </p><p>“Why, you like it?” rakes it up across her breasts on his way to her nipple.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you teasing asshole, you know I like it.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What about this? He throws the blanket back over his head and moves back to her belly button.”  </p><p>“Oh, you are not going to like where this goes when it's my turn...just keep in mind turnabout is fair play.</p><p> </p><p>“I love to play with you”. He disappears back under the blanket so she can only hear his voice. “So what about when I do this”….He rubs his coarse beard against the soft material of her panties she wore to bed.  </p><p> </p><p>Her breath catches in her throat she responds, “I'm going to s-shave you when you're a-asleep.”</p><p> </p><p>“No you won't, because then I couldn't do this.” Bites her hip and then rubs his face against it soothingly. She cackles at the tickling sensation, making him laugh along with her.</p><p> </p><p>“Shhh. You're going to wake him up Cara.” The kid was still in his carrier right outside their bunk.</p><p>“I'm going to knee you in the face, that’s what I’m gonna do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good thing I'm not going near your knees. Do you want me to draw you a map, would that help?” his fingertips are traveling over her so lightly it’s driving her insane. He nudges the inside of her thigh and her leg falls open to the side. “Don’t mind me, I’m just getting those dangerous knees you threatened me with out of the way.”</p><p>She’s already breathing heavy she asks suspiciously, “is <em>that </em>what you’re doing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you’re distracting me.” He lightly nudges the soft skin on the inside of her other knee, and she lets it fall away with no resistance.</p><p>He settles between her legs and mouths wetly at the crease of her hip, where it joins her leg to her torso. <em>Gods, when did that spot become so sensitive?</em></p><p>He asks her in his bedroom voice that she’s begun to recognize regularly now, “what do you want?”</p><p>“I <span class="u">want</span> you to get on with it.” She smacks his shoulder blade and then rubs her hand down the long muscles of his back.</p><p> </p><p>“No need to be short. Manners cost nothing at all….”</p><p> </p><p>“Just you wait....you think I’ve teased you before….you have no idea…”</p><p> </p><p>Din sounds delighted when he responds, “<span class="u">that's</span> your best threat? Really? You're losing your touch Dune. Threatening me with something I already want, something I can't get enough of? Threaten away.”</p><p> </p><p>“You love it.”</p><p>He tried to keep the playful edge to his voice, but it was hard. He pulled the blanket back down to his shoulders so he could look her in the face, even in total darkness, when he said, “I do. I love it. Your threats, your voice, when you punch me in the face, your smart mouth, I love--…. all of it." <em>How much longer can he possibly hold it inside of him. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“And I <em>really love</em> the sound you make when I do this.” He sucked at the junction of her hip and she arched against him and whined.</p><p> </p><p>“I can do better than last time, I promise.” He says with so much eagerness, she has to shut her eyes in anticipation.</p><p> </p><p>“I really doubt that, but challenge accepted. Make me beg Din.”</p><p> </p><p>“You talk like that and <em>I’m</em> going to be the one begging.” He threw the blanket back over his head like a petulant child.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, in the spirit of equality and a----ahh-- she lost the ability speak. She couldn’t see him, but felt his teeth pulling at the thin cloth of her underwear she wore for bed. She saw the blanket shift in the dark as his form moved underneath it, pulling them down her legs and casting them aside. By the time he rubbed his beard up the inside of her thigh she was a writhing mess.  He hooked his hands up under and around her thighs so his fingers could sink into her skin to keep her from wriggling right off the bed. His mouth was on her in an instant and he could barely focus on the task at hand when she let out the loudest moan he had ever heard at the first pass of his tongue. Upon the second, the third, and the fourth, she was already gasping nonsensical gibberish into the pillow she had put over her face to muffle her sounds. It turned out nothing could muffle his, except pushing his mouth more insistently against her, letting her body capture all the sounds that came out of him. By the end they were both begging.</p><p> </p><p>There were only 2 days left until they reached their final destination before Nevarro.</p><p>Din hoped he could keep her away from the nav charts until they got there, so she didn’t ruin the surprise.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading!<br/>Please leave me a comment if you enjoyed :)<br/>Special shoutout to all you people reading before work, or "not work" at this point :D</p><p>I love hearing from you all!<br/>Have a great day</p></blockquote></div></div>
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